Coming Clean
by Aurora313
Summary: Kaidan remains trapped in the Hospital and an unusually nervous Jane Shepard feels she needs to reveal a secret that she's kept from him since Day 1.


**Mass Effect (c) Bioware**

**Griffon Shepard (c) Me**

**Coming Clean**

* * *

Kaidan scrolled through the data pad for what felt like the hundredth time in the same hour, yet he found it difficult to absorb any of the worlds. He glanced of them, not really reading at all. Desperate for a chance of scenery, his focus shifted to the hospital window. Shepard had visited a while ago, and she'd sent an email a few days ago, claiming she wanted to 'clear the air' with him. The phrasing she used in the email was strange, even for Jane Shepard. Her usual style was short, yes, but there was a… unique way she wrote her messages. Jane Shepard liked being playful, sassy, often dramatically incorrect and scattered with too many emotes. Something far more suited to a hyperactive high school teenager rather than a combat veteran. But this email was different, formally structured and edited. No emotes of any kind, and that was what troubled him.

Kaidan wasn't sure whether to be worried, concerned or angry. Before he could contemplate it further, there was a knock at the door which nearly scared him out of his skin.

"Kaidan?" It was Jane's voice on the other side, "I'm coming in, ok?"

In her fashion, Shepard hadn't waited for an answer. The door slide open with a mechanical hiss, and Kaidan had to stop himself from laughing for a second. She'd always loved her little N7 collectables, but never in a million years did he imagine she would even have a hoodie specially made after the same Special Forces motif. Most of her fiery red hair was tied back in a short, stubby tail, but a few bangs stubbornly refused to go apparently.

"You look much better, I see they finally let you wear a shirt." She joked lightly. "Sorry I'm a mess, I would have cleaned up, but there was kind of a scheduling conflict thing going on and… yeah."

Kaidan would comment how her messy hair looked suitable charming, but Shepard seemed nervous enough - something that was never a good sign. "Is there something wrong?"

"What? No. No nothing… well, I hope there won't be." Shepard answered once again. Kaidan sat up in his bed and watched her carefully. Just what on earth did she mean by that, he wondered. "Kaidan, there's something I need to tell you."

"Shepard?" He tested after a few seconds before something dawned on him. He leaned back, crestfallen. "There's someone else… isn't there?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Shepard quickly jumped to the defensive, before making an amendment. "Well, there is but not in the way you're thinking about. I promise."

Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, but found no words came out. Eventually he shook his head, unable to get his thoughts in order. "O-oh Ok, You've totally confused right now. How about we go back to the start?"

"Ok. Right…" Shepard sighed, clasping her hands together and playing with her fingers. She was completely out of her element right now, her defences were down and that tough-as-nails exterior the galaxy had known her for had evaporated for now. Truly a rare sight indeed. She moved to the chair besides his bed and sat down. "I uh… I've been keeping a secret from you Kaidan. I have been since we first met each other…"

"A good secret… or bad?" Kaidan asked, trying to encourage her through this. Clearly there was something holding her back right now, and the best thing he could do was coax her through it.

"Honestly, that depends on how you take it." Shepard responded, she offered her hands out as if some intangible truth lay in them. "I am happy to disclose it, and if we want to start fresh, I believe its important that you know about this part of myself."

"Okay." was all Kaidan could say in reply. "Tell me."

"Before I do, I just want you to understand, it was always my intention to tell you before the SR1 crashed." Shepard stood up and moved back to the door. It wasn't until now that Kaidan noticed it hadn't closed. Shepard reached across the threshold, gesturing to… someone he could only assume. A couple seconds later, a young teenaged girl came into the room. She couldn't have been more than fourteen at the most. Jane had proudly put an arm over her shoulders. She wore a simple pink shirt and black-zip up jacket and pair of aged jeans. Perhaps the most striking attribute about this young woman was the red hair that almost perfectly matched Jane's own.

"Kaidan. I'd like you to meet Griffon. My daughter."

* * *

Haha! Trolling writer is trolling. I've experimented with the idea of Shepard being a parent before, but its not one I've touched in a long time.

((Honestly, I cut off cause I have no idea what Kaidan's reaction would be. I'm not skilled at writing his character))


End file.
